"I invite you (The Witches Tea Party Under a Halloween Moon is open to all active bloggers, because the more the merrier the make merry!) to create a tea party to express and honor the witch in all of you. Whether you are an artful witch, a whimsical witch or a magickal witch (and yes you can be all). Your tea party can be fun and playful, sacred and soulful, hauntingly spooky or simply beautiful," she joyfully offered. Without a moment's hesitation, I accepted!]

It was a dark and stormy night...

But first and nextly comes right out from me a teensy tinsy gust of outloud merriment, because a thrill that starts at my topnot travels to the toe~tippies of

Can you be anything but happy when you're wearing striped socks?my striped sockinged feet,then back again and twice more,as I remember

a dear Funny Papers friendtypewriting on his rooftop

and me realizing his passion for launching yet another of many novels with this, canonical phrase "borrowed" from Victorian purple proser, Edward George Bulwer-Lytton, opening his story in such an intriguing way. Eversincely, I have entertained the thought of some day making temporary use of Snoopy's eternal opener to unfold a tale of my own. Today be that dream come true!

It was a dark and stormy night...sort of.

*nervously struggling with a Truth~Be~Told on the verge of being confessed out of avoidability (as I will not sleep ever again if I do not spill!)*

Gemmama says, "To cut bread in an uneven manner is a sign that you have have been telling a lie." At this moment I am glad my grandmother is not present to hand me the serrated knife. For it is true: a fib I cannot tell (and get away with it). White deceits do not become me, and dark BIG lies neither do I wear well. They, inparticular, are oversize garments on me, whose disacorded darts are liked to misguided "shoots" of firework.

Thus, the Truth~Be~Told: even though this story's unfurl found its beginning late, late yesterday, it happened beneath showy, twinkling stars that brightly down~watched overly and throughout. Expressly, then, it was NOWISE a dark and stormy night...

Because it being Hallowe'en, I took advantage of the situation merely to be able to finally put this opening to my special good use, is all. Having that said, I am feeling better already! On with the party? LET'S SHALL!

At the stroke of midnight, sounded by Gemmama's parlored Great Clock, a very early brewed and very black cup of party tea was poured into a middlish~size bowl, where raisins, sultanas (golden rasisins), currants, and lemon peelings~made~candied would sleep~soak until plumped. Sametimely, Sun's up would interrupt their spelt~upon slumber, and I then did collander the entire lot, because there is an All~Hallows~Even tradition, Barmbrack, an edible~y divining tool that next I would bake from a special formula, that of witchwhich I merrily share~ily! (Later this day, featured in the blog section tagged "Comments," below, I promise you my family's holiday receipt!)

because it is, quite frankly, "spotty" to the eye. Speckle Bread speaks of itself perfectly, and Celtically called Báirín Breac, this Irish fruited tea bread, that is nearly cake, is best served toasted with a smear of Witch's Frosting (softened butter) and washed with a cup of Irish Tea, typically on the day that is Halloween!

Most front forwardly, though, and of what I did make hints at priorly, Barmbrack is a delicious

fortune telling game, whose baker hidingly dough~deeps destiny trinkets and charms symbolic in their slice for those breaking this sweet treat on Samhain, and thus divines their future!

Once upon a time and waaay way back in the day, secretly planted bakery bits of silver and gold would customarily include a coin (wealth), a matchstick (to beat your spouse with --?!), a rag (poverty), a thimble (spinsterhood), a button (bachelorhood), a gold ring (marriage), and a pea or bean (once again with the poverty).

But whiles and whiles ago, Gemmama and her flock decided these antiquaited, if not downright nasty, predictors had to go. Replacing them would be a fun~wonderful slew of new charms with exceptional meanings:

Best be having a Litter Box Charm handy if this be your find, as this silvery morsel is really a bell: it actually tinkles!Cat CharmForecast: Furry or t'otherwise, you will make a new friend.

The Coffin Charmstands for a Wealth of Health: "If this trinket be in your slice, keep it hidden more than twice." (Meaning, if the the charm is hidden all year long, then there is no coffin. Or in other words, "No coughin'," which is to say, "Good Health!")

The Pickle or Craving CharmForecast: Someone very close to you--Mayhaps even you!--will become round with child.

Satchels be packed!Because, not unlike an Eensy Weensy up the water spout, ye, too, shall travel.

The Love Beannie CharmGemmama added the Nesmith cap to the mix the year then tweenager Momsie longed to be on the arm of a particular Monkee. These days, it signifies a new or a renewed romance is just around the corner.

Saturday, October 22, 2011

"Tah-ruly one of Betsy's mother's finest!" declared Gemmama, shiny with a proudness that spoke as if indeed she closely knew the McCall family (perhaps was even invited to Thanksgiving dinner at their house on occasion, because, "Is that so very hard to believe?!?") to her then little girl, who would next grow up to someday be my Momsie♥, gently hand~cradling before her the sewing pattern envelope, whose delicate inner tissues would soon hurry to be received by a specially~selected and magically flowy black fabric, afterwitch afterwhich and in short order (My grandmother's stitches have always been quick and light of motion!) it would become the "Mommy and Me" matching outfit (a look that always found time to tug at Gemmama's heartstrings) that she and her daughter would together share-wear, come a Tricks or Treats evening, decades ago, AND whose scrumptuously artworked packaging had instantly turned Momsie's eyes into platters! (BY•the•BY: Happy Almost Halloween greetings to you, Gemmama, if indeed I have caught you sneak peeking "taking in the sights," even though over and again you insist that something you would never in a million black cats' years busy yourself with is the reading of a blog, the reason for choosing not to mostly being: "The word 'blog' is a silly sound!")

"Push the worry from your stomach," I confidented my littlest witchy~pal, Natalie, who much rathers "Natty," and is my cookie Thomas' sweet niece, days ago when she "I spied" the annual All~Hallows~Even

holiday party invite, joyfully issued to all by Vanessa, who hangs her pointy hat at A Fanciful Twist. Reminding her of my No Witch Left Behind Policy, because the more the merrier indeed, I then did boost the invitation: "In concert you and I shall enter 'through the secret keyhole'(Please to "click" and you shall come, too!) to celebrate this day of days!

From out of my grandmother's second attic, farback~and~to~the~right~and~left~of~Great~Uncle~Ned's~boxed~wishbone~collection trunk, amore~sprinkled, look~alikey witch garb in sizes BIG (Gemmama's!) and small (Momsie's!) have been borrowed and freshened! But lo and behold a bold fashion statement change, though, for beneath out pointies, Natty and I will lovingly plop old~fashioned, tribute bonnets up top our topnots, only to again plop, this time, ourselves in

(Most sincerely, its flavor is that of pumpkin orange--and gold-threaded to boot!)

the parlor's favorite overstuffed. There we will herald in this festival day's frolic with a cozy reading of delicately penned in her own hand and likewise dotted with her soft~colored and charming teeny tiny drawings

National Treasure Tasha Tudor'svery first published story:

Pumpkin Moonshine!

Its breviary tells: Pumpkin Moonshine is a short little tale of Tudor's niece Sylvie Ann as she goes out to select a big pumpkin for Halloween. Sylvie Ann and her little dog, Wiggy, climb a hill to the cornfield where the pumpkins are growing.

They find a big one and start to roll it home as if it were a big snow-ball. As they head back down the hill the pumpkin gets away from them and speeds into the farmyard scaring some goats, chickens, and geese and finally, bumps into the hired hand causing him to spill a bucket of whitewash. Finally, Sylvie Ann's grandfather, who you can tell by his style of dress is a New England gentleman farmer, helps her carve the pumpkin into

a "Pumpkin Moonshine",otherwise known as a Jack-o-Lantern.

They put a candle inside and enjoy the grinning face. Sylvie Ann saves the seeds and plants them in the cornfield in the spring.--LibraryThing.com

Orangely primed,we will most certainly then

be ready for our ownPumpkin Moonshining!

Shame on forgetful me, because I did not make a mention of the wand~making, did I? Three cheers! because the treating continues, when Natty and I create

fabulous Hallowe'en wands!

Then, no doubt and quite honestly, because I can never avoid not to, we will "bake"

a pie!

And, yes, yes, a thousand times yes, there will be presents!-- Oh! Oh! OH! I MUST SCAMPER! Suddenly and follwing a knock~knock~knockity~knocking at my door, little footsteps are coming up to me! Natalie has arrrived! And if she does over~my~shoulder read this, much too soon she will get wind of the surprises: a paint box whose chips are chock full of Tasha Tudor~y inspired

watercolors,

Natty has yet to have put to parchment, waits wrapped for her in pumpkin print paper, as does, too, a bewitching perfumer of Miss Taylor Swift's

Wonderstruck,a charming gourmand named after the lyrics her song titled, "Enchanted"!

GOLY~GOSH!I'd best be closing!

A Happy Halloween Party to all,and to all,

A Pumpkin Moonshiny Night!

A Most Important Postscript: Dear Miss Vanessa, I send to you this from~the~bottom~of~my~heartly thank you!

Saturday, October 8, 2011

It is wise not to burn a sweet Gurley orange such as this, because watching that would make me very sad!

And so begins day twenty~five, leading up to the biggest 31st of the year: All~Hallows~Even! Yes, amazed I am, as, likely, you are too, at how extraordinarily Hallowe'en~magickal the clock's tick~tocks now do make their sounds!

Going mere days back, the door on The Whimsical Cottage opened and from its threshold Miss Danni made pre~holiday mentions: "Time we got out our broomsticks and candlesticks and tell each other spooky stories around the fire. And, because so many of you played along and I had so much fun last year, I'm throwing another Countdown to Hallowe'en blog party this year! If you missed it last year, here's what you need to know to play along:

Do something Autumny or Halloweeny every day throughout the month of October, ending with the big event on the 31st. It need not be anything difficult or eleborate, just a little something to get you in the spirit. Share what you've been up to on your blogs either daily, every few days, weekly... whenever you're able! All I ask is you have a maniacally good time!"

To make luck come bountifully into your life (Or, mayhapsly, it be all about replenishing your suddenly dwindling stash? Because, "How did I let it get away on me?" you're asking yourself.), take a freshly owned orange~colored candle that has yet to have a glowing match put to it, and anoint it thricely with three driplets of cinnamon oil, three driplets of clove oil, and three driplets of lotus oil, because it is rumored that belonging to each of these integrals are vibrations of the luck~attracting kind.

Dancing Bear is one of Momsy's favorite people!

Whilst Grandfather busies himself with counting out loud to twelve, thus turning the world into midnight, three times impart the following incantation:

BRIMSTONE, MOON, AND WITCH'S FIRECANDLELIGHT'S BRIGHT SPELLGOOD LUCK SHALL I NOW AQUIRE,WORK THY MAGICK WELL.MIDNIGHT TWELVE, THE WITCHING HOUR,BRING THE LUCK I SEEK.BY WAX AND WICK NOW WORK THY POWERAS THESE WORDS I SPEAK.HARMING NONE, THIS SPELL IS DONE.BY LAW OF THREE, SO MOTE IT BE!

Gaze into the flame of the candle, same~timing with thinks and thoughts good lucky. Give pulse to a lucky feel that is real, as if indeed it was you who had just won a prize!

As mind~pictures paint a Wheel of Fortune especially spinning for you, remember, too, this reminder: To achieve an outcome that is at its best, cup~runneth~overly magnify this newly conjured euphoria. But, oh, I do ask begs of thee: BE WATCHFUL! NEVER, ever(and dotted with a plentiful sprinkling of whatsoever) doubt the power of the spell! Even the smallest crumb of skeptical will recklessly upside down its effectiveness.

And for certain and most importantly, do NOT stop the candle's "burn~brightly," until 1 November becomes the day, because as Grandfather's speaks of Wee Morning, so shall the spell be fixed. (Take heed, please, witches in need of beauty sleep: a bathtub safely holds a lit taper all night long unattended.) And, if Sunrise finds the candle NOT "out," put to use a moistened two~finger wick~pinch, as it is the only acceptible snuff. BecauseNEVER LET HUMAN BREATH CEASE THE FLAME OR ALL OF YOUR GOOD LUCK WILL BLOW AWAY.

And if a past~annointed orange candle be at your fingertips, enjoy prediction:

To peer into the future (or visit Realms Unknown), before a mirror at the stroke of Halloween midnight, middle yourself betwix a midnight~complected candle placed leftmost and the spelled orange candle on your right. "Match" each hand to light the candles at a moment that is the same to both of them, whilst you give a gaze to your own eyes in the mirror. Concentrate upon that which you desire to know, until an often times misty vision looks back at you from the glass. Within this vision your answer will be found!

Saturday, October 1, 2011

From Across the Pond a postcard that is Halloween~fancy, Postal Carrier Thomas (and my cookie still!) this morning did deliver! Gemmama, whose house I keep a home while she is making Far Aways to visit her dearest friend

Luella living a Welsh life,sent this timely to me:

Tenth Month Greetings, Sweet E.!

When this message finds you, we will be gathering barely here-and-there Scabious (a teasel known to remedy Itchies, and that also answers to Devil's-bit because, as one "relic," an ancient crone whose name escapes me, once clued me,'The greater part of the root seemeth to be bitten away; old fantastick charmers report that the divel did bite it for envie, because it is an herbe that hath so many good vertues and it is so beneficial to mankinde.') and Red Dead Nettle (good to remove a jinx --or add to floor wash, afterwhich expect a mighty fine shine to look back at you. Go figure?! Tee-hee!) And when it's not about that, blackberries fill out buckets! Then we will bring home nice long necklaces of bright scarlet (Another tee-hee! truly is in order as this particular month inspires me to spell it "scare"let!) berries of the Black Bryony to herald in Autumn's crisp and the spookiful days and nights of October!

Eary BOO! to you!Love, G. and L.

P.S. Yellow-Hammers are feeding in the stubble!

Quickly, I be putting postal note asideand then immediately, and

naturally, I did bake a pie!

"Hello, October, full of merry glee!" I out loudly spoke to the sky outside my window, where it watched me watch it unfold into a brand new Season of the Witch! With the pie~point I'd forked from my blackberried slice held highly, I continued to give hail: "O Yellow Month, from the fading of the leaf,The wall calendar today announces that you finally belong to the world. Aah! This day, your first, is generous with warm and bright! Truly, you be the frosting on the cake we call "Today"!

And so begins the thirty days that lead up to the biggest thirty~oneth of the year: All~Hallows~Even! Yes, Hallowe'en approaches! How extraordinarily magickical the clock's tick~tocks are now sounding!

*offers warm~still piece of blackberry pie (and don't forget to first make a wish on its point before you make eats of it!)*Have some bites and chews whilst Miss Dannifrom The Whimsical Cottage extends this invitation:

"Time we got out our broomsticks and candlesticks and tell each other spooky stories around the fire. And, because so many of you played along and I had so much fun last year, I'm throwing another Countdown to Hallowe'en blog party this year! If you missed it last year, here's what you need to know to play along:

Do something Autumny or Halloweeny every day throughout the month of October, ending with the big event on the 31st. It need not be anything difficult or eleborate, just a little something to get you in the spirit. Share what you've been up to on your blogs either daily, every few days, weekly... whenever you're able! All I ask is you have a maniacally good time!"

You'll join us then, please say you will? Grand! I'm simply delighted, and I am certain that is what Miss Danni will be, soonly after you favorably RSVP!

My 1 October Countdown contribution is sort of kooky~spooky,

Dr.Jekyll and Mr. Hyde~ylooksee, which is to say it is merely a fun~meme and lightly are the bumps in the night that are sprinkled upon it:

Scientists, be they mad or no, assert that within each and and every one of us our opposite side lurks! (Our personal antonyms may cheat while we remain faithful, spends the night dancing while we are home choring, curses at annoyers while we smile and hold our tongue, etcetera.)

On this day that starts October, then liberate, perhaps? About yourself give filler to the blanks in sentences below. (Feel free to add new descriptives as they occur to you.) Then complete the same statements in their opposite way, because you'd be surprised!

And please do, too, remember that "Evil Twin" need not be naughty words. Plenty are the times our opposite self (alter ego) isn't always worse in some way than we are. The "bad witch" is generally accomplished at the very things we think we are failures at. (If you are shy, she is a grandiose flirt. If you oversleep, she is Sunrise's alarm clock. If you are afraid--heaven forbid--of flying, she invented the broom, and so on.)

Be it ever so humble, there's no place like pie!

I love my Puddle!

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"And above all, watch with glittering eyes the whole world around you because the greatest secrets are always hidden in the most unlikely places. Those who don’t believe in magic will never find it." ~Roald Dahl

Today's Forecast:

Pull Pointy Hats' straps that much tighter:

The line forms here!

"But just to keep alive isn't enough," the butterfly said. "To live you must have sunshine and freedom and a little flower to love!" ~~A translation of Hans Christian Andersen's "Sommerfuglen" by Jean Hersholt